Harnett one of 5 counties in N.C. with an armored military vehicle

According to the report, the U.S. military given out more than 600 armored vehicles (or mine resistant vehicles) to city and county law enforcement agencies since 2013. Most police departments and sheriff’s offices are using them to respond to emergency situations, conduct drug raids or in some cases, patrol the streets.

Harnett County received its mine resistant vehicle — valued at $658,000 — from Fort Bragg last October as a “temporary donation,” according to its Oct. 7, 2013, county commissioners consent agenda. The agenda, which included details about the vehicle [such as its ability to withstand IEDs and nuclear, biological and chemical threats] and stated the vehicle would be returned to the military after it’s “no longer required.”

Brunswick, Cherokee, Currituck and Halifax are the other four North Carolina counties with the vehicles. Texas (not surprisingly) leads the nation with 68 recently acquired vehicles.